These regulations introduce a new market entry test based on pharmaceutical needs assessments, and remove the current exemptions for new applications for pharmacies undertaking to provide pharmaceutical services for at least 100 hours per week, pharmacies in one stop primary care centres, and pharmacies in large retail developments. As included in the consultation on the draft regulations, the exemption for distance selling pharmacies continues, but with strengthened conditions.

The removal of the exemption for new 100 hour pharmacies will boost the confidence of pharmacy contractors to invest in their services, and the drain on the NHS purse caused by clustering of additional pharmacies that bring about little improvement in access will also be greatly reduced.

Since the Galbraith report in 2006, the Health Act 2009, and the consultation on the draft of the new regulations, there has been recognition that the exemption for 100 hour pharmacies has extended far beyond what was anticipated when the government introduced the four limited exemptions. PSNC made repeated calls for a moratorium until the revised market entry test could be introduced, and the massive growth in applications particularly over the last 12 months demonstrates why a moratorium was needed.

Commenting on the regulations, Steve Lutener, Head of Regulation, PSNC said:

"Many pharmacies will be relieved to see these long awaited regulations, but will be asking why it has taken so long, when the primary legislation had indicated the government’s intention as long ago as 2009."

Commenting on the announcement, Sue Sharpe, Chief ExecutivePSNC said:

"Putting behind us PSNC’s frustration that these changes were not implemented in a more timely manner, we look forward to seeing PCTs working with their Local Pharmaceutical Committees and pharmacy contractors, to use these provisions to plan pharmacy openings and the commissioning of new services where they will really bring benefits in access to pharmacy services."

The University of Sunderland have recently developed a new Pre-registration Training Programme which will be accessible to pre-registration trainees from July 2012. The programme aims to help trainees meet the learning objectives of the pre-registration year as well as preparing them for the GPhC registration assessment.

As many Sunderland graduates remain in the region to complete their pre-registration year, this new programme allows the university to continue to support their students at post graduate level. It also offers a support mechanism that does currently exist on a local level in our region at present and so offers a more accessible contact point for help and advice for both the trainee and also the pre-registration tutor alike.

The University feels that this is a perfect opportunity for them and the local stakeholders to engage and prepare for future changes to pharmacy education and pre-registration training in line with the Modernising Pharmacy Careers Agenda.

Last week a new PSNC Contract Workbook module was launched on PharmaBase. The module is the new electronic version of the PSNC Contract Workbook, which was first published in 2005, and which has been updated annually.

For 2012/13 the Contract Workbook module has been comprehensively updated, to take account of all the changes in the NHS community pharmacy contractual framework’s (CPCF) terms of service which became effective as of 1 July 2012.

The module allows a pharmacy to voluntarily check through each element of the CPCF’s terms of service and where necessary record details that might be requested during a PCT monitoring visit. The module corresponds with the updated Community Pharmacy Assurance Framework (CPAF) published last week; the majority of the updating of this set of documents was undertaken by Steve Lutener (PSNC) in association with NHS Primary Care Commissioning.

When a section of the module is finalised by a pharmacy, a corresponding completed CPAF self-assessment will be generated. This can be saved by the pharmacy for printing.

Our region already uses their own self assessment forms for Contract monitoring however the Pharmabase self assessments can be used to support and evidence the local arrangements.

The PharmaBase section of the PSNC website (Link Below) includes an updated guide to the Contract Workbook module and the July edition of PharmaBase Update, published in this month’s Community Pharmacy News (CPN) also explains how to use the module.

The Department of Health (DH) released on Friday 4th May preliminary information concerning stage 2 of the Drug Tariff Simpliﬁcation process, due to be implemented in July 2012. Stage 2 includes changes to the reimbursement rules for methadone prescribed on FP10MDA & FP10 prescriptions. The new arrangements come into effect from the 1st July and the LPC has some serious concerns about some of these changes and how they may affect contractors. We would urge contractors to ensure they understand the changes and how it will affect them. We published a PSNC fact sheet in our LPC NEWSLETTER.

We have also added a METHADONE FEE CALCULATOR to the our site to help you understand the impact on your business. We urge contractors to use the calculator and feedback to us any big swings in payments.